Proposals to introduce new parking charges to town centres and other areas of the Vale of Glamorgan will be put to the public this summer – despite warnings from councillors.

Vale of Glamorgan Council will be asking people about plans in a report by Capita which include on-street parking in town centres, coastal car parks and two country parks.

Charges would be introduced at a number of car parks and roads in Barry, Cowbridge and Llantwit Major town centres, coastal car parks and country parks.

On-street parking charges would be introduced in Barry Island and in car parks across the Vale which are currently free.

The consultation was launched on July 2, but two council scrutiny committees warned the council to instead take the plans back to the drawing board due to errors in the report, public concern and that it would be “not acceptable” to launch the consultation during the summer months.

But Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet agreed to progress the consultation.

Councillor Geoff Cox, cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport, said stopping the consultation now would not be helpful.

He said: “While that report makes recommendations these recommendations will be subject to consultation.

“Stopping the process in its tracks at this stage would not be helpful. It would add to the uncertainty and drift which would be far from helpful at this stage of the process.”

Vale MP, Alun Cairns, has urged residents and businesses to fully engage with the consultation process saying that on the potential change has been a hot topic of discussion amongst local residents, with many traders concerned about the impact it will have on their business.

Mr Cairns met with council leader Cllr John Thomas to make sure that his views and the views of his constituents are understood and taken into consideration.

Following his meeting Mr Cairns met business owners to find their views on any changes.

Mr Cairns said: “The council needs to make sure that the proposals they put forward for parking charges are right for business and right for residents but I would also hope that additional capacity is being considered.

“I’ve recently spent time meeting with businesses, on Barry's Holton Road and High Street, to find their views on the proposals.

"It’s unsurprising that most are not in support of introducing charges and are very concerned about the impact that they could have on trade.

"Many do not want new measures to put people off shopping locally.

“I am a firm believer that the Vale Council must not take a blanket approach. What may work in one area will not necessarily be suitable for others.

"I am particularly concerned about the impact of potential charges on beach front locations, such as Llantwit Major and Barry Island – where capacity is an issue during the summer.

"We need to protect and support our tourist industry, ensuring that we don’t deter visitors to our beaches. I would encourage the Council to take into account the wider economic impact when looking at car parking in these locations.”